A young man was let off with a conditional discharge after some horseplay between friends drinking at a bar in Paceville turned sour when one of the youths ended up facing criminal charges for having caused serious injuries to one of his mates.

Karim-Slim Safta, 22, was enjoying a night out in Paceville on December 27, 2015 when, at around 3.30am while drinking at the Havana Club, he began to fool around.

Intending to give his friend a good soaking, the accused grabbed a trayful of glasses and jokingly hurled it in the direction of his companion at the bar.

The victim ended up not only soaked in drink but also injured by the hard contents of the tray, the court was told. The magistrate observed that the victim, when seen in close proximity, still bore scars on the forehead which were remnants of the unfortunate incident.

The court, presided by magistrate Anthony Vella, noted however that the accused and the victim were still friends in spite of what had happened. Moreover, the accused had paid for all the medical expenses incurred by his mate.

The court declared that, in the light of these circumstances the accused, though guilty, did not deserve an effective jail term. It discharged the accused upon condition of not committing another offence within two years.